Lean Leadership for Ops Managers

Are you a fan of one-on-ones? Most managers aren’t. But that’s because most managers haven’t had great one-on-ones modeled for them. If you want to lead through relationships, then valuable one-on-ones are a key activity to master. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why doing one-on-ones is one of the most critical leadership routines for managers What managers get wrong with one-on-ones Answ...

What do you mean when you say the word coaching? Do you think of an iconic sports coach yelling plays from the sideline or giving an inspirational speech in the locker room? As leaders, we coach our team members to help them learn and grow, but I’ve discovered that coaching is used incorrectly in many instances. In this episode, we are diving into what I mean by coaching, how it’s different from o...

Telling is not all bad; however, as leaders, we typically need to bring more coaching into our team interactions. So, how do we transition from doing to coaching? In this episode, Jamie shares how to effectively coach problem solving. What You'll Learn from this Episode: Coaching Problem Solving Set Your Intention to Coach Stop Giving the Answers Start Asking Good Coaching Questions Learn mor...

How have you expanded your team as your organization continues to grow? Does your hiring strategy align with the organization’s values and vision?  The Process Plus Results team is expanding, and in this special 100th Episode Edition, Jamie shares how the team’s strengths intersect and complement each other. Plus, the team members join us to share what they do, the value they bring, and how that a...

How did it all begin? Since we are getting ready to celebrate our 100th episode, let's look back at how this podcast started a little over two years ago. On the day the podcast launched, I was at a speaking engagement in Evansville, IN, where I live now, and will be for the 100th episode! In this episode, we are taking a trip down memory lane and sharing the podcast's first three episode...

Executing a new or changed routine seems simple enough, right? As Ops Executives, we expect our leaders to start implementing a new process seamlessly, but are we teaching them all the skills they need?  In this episode, Jamie shares how to help Ops Managers improve their thinking and decision-making capabilities.  What You’ll Learn from this Episode When We Need More Than Coaching Execution Alone...

Have you ever been frustrated when a leader won’t adopt a new process? How do we improve engagement with new or changing routines? As Ops Executives, we’re often told that we do too much telling and not enough listening; however, telling is still part of leading an operation.  In this episode, Jamie shares how to best use telling interactions when supporting Ops Managers execute new routines. What...

When is coaching not enough? Coaching is a buzzword right now, and so many managers are told to make it a focus. While coaching is a wonderful tool, there are times when leaders need to use other communication approaches to be effective.  In this episode, Jamie shares an example of when a manager needed more than coaching and how it can effectively be used in combination with other skills.  What Y...

Competition or collaboration? When done effectively, competition can drive results for some people; however, there is also a potential downside. I've seen that Operations Executives are scared to remove competition because they think the drive and motivation will disappear. What would happen if we shifted away from competition and moved toward collaboration instead? In this episode, Jamie is...

Why is respect for people so important? This Pillar of Lean can affect every aspect of the way we lead. Recently, Jamie was a guest on an internal podcast for GE, Andon That Note, and spoke with Brette Smith and LaToya Moore about the Pillars of Lean: Respect for People and Continuous Improvement. Since Andon That Note is internal and can’t be found outside the organization, they allowed us to sha...

Where have you seen waste show up in your work? How often do you have to rework things because plans have changed or were rushed? In this episode, Jamie shares how she dealt with physical rework and thought waste as she moved to Indiana temporarily.   What You’ll Learn from this Episode: The Season of Big News Overcoming Obstacles in Real Life Dealing with Rework in Uncertainty Get full show notes...

What does it mean to be wrong? Why are people hesitant to speak up when they see an issue? In this episode, Jamie shares her thoughts on why team members stay silent when they think there may be a problem and how we, as leaders, can create an environment where our team members are more willing to raise issues and take that risk of being wrong. What You’ll Learn from this Episode: Why People Are He...

How do you lead Purpose at work? We are continuing our mini-series focused on Purpose and Leading Purpose at Work. In this episode, Jamie shares how leaders at all levels can make a difference by overcoming the Purpose Gap and common Purpose Pitfalls.  What You’ll Learn from this Episode Leading Purpose at Work Clarify True North Connect the Dots Make it Personal Get full show notes and more infor...

Is your purpose clearly communicated to everyone in your organization? Even if you talk about your purpose in meetings and have posters on the wall, everyone may not understand them or relate to them. In this episode, I talk about common Purpose Pitfalls and how to recognize them in your organization. What You’ll Learn from this Episode Why Focus on Purpose at Work Organizational Purpose Pitfalls ...

Where do you find your purpose? Two-thirds of U.S. employees are reflecting on their purpose in life, and nearly half are reconsidering the type of work they do. In this week's episode, Jamie talks about finding your purpose at work and shares the Purpose Gap that is found among most team members.  What You’ll Learn from this Episode: Shifting Your Mindset About Purpose Where We Find Our Purp...

This week continues our Kata series live from Kata Con 8, and we are talking all about coaching. In this episode, I spoke with Susan Clancy, who shared her experience of being coached as a learner live on stage and why a coach needs to be a learner. I also share my experiences from the coaching dojo and why I plan to participate in another one.  What You’ll Learn from this Episode: Setting the Cha...

Why practice Toyota Kata? It can seem daunting at the beginning with the rigid structure and rules; however, the goal of Kata is more about shifting our mindset to integrate improvement thinking into our work.  Lean Frontiers hosts an annual Kata Con, and this year I had the privilege to meet and interview Mike Rother, the author of the book Toyota Kata . In this episode, I talk with Mike about th...

What is Toyota Kata? It's common for the nuances of Toyota Kata to seem complicated or overwhelming, especially if you haven't started practicing it. In this episode, I give an overview of Kata fundamentals and share my perspective on how Kata fits into the improvement frameworks that you may already know. What You’ll Learn from this Episode: The Fundamentals of Toyota Kata Four Phases o...

Difficult conversations, conflict, and performance management are all responsibilities that leaders have to face; however, we can choose how we handle them. We can either be kind and show respect to our team members or be harsh in our interactions. In today's episode, Karyn Ross joins us to discuss Kind Leadership and how she is on a mission to help people worldwide think, speak, act and lead...

Have you ever walked away from a feedback session that didn't seem to be productive? Maybe it devolved into a complaint session, and there wasn't any focus on what we could do to improve the situation. As leaders, how we frame the conversation can turn unproductive sessions into meaningful and actionable feedback for improvement.   In this episode, Jamie shares a simple method for evalua...

One in five people deal with mental health struggles, and this is not just a statistic; it is real, and it's affecting people on our teams whether we realize it or not. As Lean Leaders, we have the problem-solving tools to help people overcome challenges and think clearly, not only at work but also in their personal lives. In today's episode, Gemma Jones shares her experiences with team...

What does Lean Leadership mean to you? You’ve implemented several Lean tools and processes, such as Gemba Walks, Leader Standard Work, Daily Meetings, and Visual Management. Even though you have seen some results, does it seem like something is still missing? In today’s episode, Jamie breaks down the four elements of effective Lean Leadership and why it is essential to build relationships and prov...

Do you remember what it was like when you led a small team of individual contributors? It was easy to interact with everyone on the team every single day. But what happens as the company grows? You find yourself leading other leaders, and values and goals must be intentionally communicated.  In today's episode, Greg Jacobson joins us to talk about scaling a startup and how he focused on build...

Does the goals of your organization align with your continuous improvement efforts? It can be so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day tasks that we lose sight of the big picture. In today’s episode, Chris Wilson shares how Wilson Manufacturing developed a new customer portal based on their goal of providing excellent customer service and how it has improved their order entry flow process.  What...

Training a new hire is a no-brainer, but do you focus on training your team members after being with your organization for 5, 10, or 15 years? We look to training when it is time to learn a new skill, but viewing learning as a lifelong journey can help grow your team professionally. In today's episode, Jeff Welch shares how training can be an effective countermeasure to performance gaps and w...